Voluntary AI Safety Standard

Guiding safe and responsible use of artificial intelligence in Australia

Date published:
5 September 2024

The Voluntary AI Safety Standard helps organisations develop and deploy AI systems in Australia safely and reliably. 

This publication includes:

  • the 10 voluntary AI guardrails and how to use them
  • examples of when to apply the guardrails
  • how we developed the standard
  • the standard's foundational concepts and legal context

It also includes definitions, links to tools and resources, and information on how AI interacts with other business guidance and regulations. 

About the standard

The Voluntary AI Safety Standard gives practical guidance to all Australian organisations on how to safely and responsibly use and innovate with artificial intelligence (AI). Through the Safe and Responsible AI agenda, the Australian Government is acting to ensure the development and deployment of AI systems in Australia in legitimate but high-risk settings is safe and can be relied on.

The standard consists of 10 voluntary guardrails that apply to all organisations throughout the AI supply chain. They include transparency and accountability requirements across the supply chain. They also explain what developers and deployers of AI systems must do. 

The guardrails help organisations to benefit from AI while mitigating and managing the risks that AI may pose to organisations, people and groups.

Some of the language in the standard is technical. We've chosen this language because it aligns with international standards. This means that Australian businesses can be sure that if they comply with the Voluntary AI Safety Standard, they will also comply with international laws. 

This version of the Voluntary AI Safety Standard is the first iteration. We will continue to update the standard.

Read the Voluntary AI Safety Standard

Introduction to the standard

Introducing the first version of Australia's AI Safety Standard.

The 10 guardrails

Read the core content of the standard.

Applying and adopting the standard through examples

Read scenarios showing how to apply and adopt the guardrails in business.

How we developed the standard

Why we wrote the standard

Read about why and how we created the Voluntary AI Safety Standard.

Risks and harms

Read about the characteristics of AI that amplify risks and the concepts of risks and harms that underpin the standard, and learn how to assess your organisation's risk level.

The legal landscape for AI in Australia

Read about the existing legal landscape that governs AI in Australia.

Resources and downloads

Terms and definitions

Read the relevant terms and definitions for the Voluntary AI Safety Standard.

Sources

The references for the Voluntary AI Safety Standard.

Acknowledgements

The NAIC would like to thank everyone who contributed to developing the standard.
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Download a copy of the Voluntary AI Safety Standard